Bathroom Redo Part 3 (Framing the mirror)

This is the part of the bathroom redo I've been the MOST excited about.  It's time to frame the mirror!!!  I didn't want a large frame.  I knew the bathroom couldn't handle it.  I settled on this small trim (which I later realized matches the door frames throughout the house!) which came in a shorter length than a lot of the other trims offered at Lowe's.  That worked well for me since I had a toddler in my cart and it was hard enough maneuvering around the store with these lengths.  I wouldn't have wanted to attempt it with longer cuts.  So out in the garage I gathered my supplies.  Trim, miter box and saw, measuring tape, pencil, notepad with measurements and baby monitor.  Yep, that last one is definitely a necessity when you're working during a nap time.

Measure twice cut once.  I mitered one edge of the trim and them measured and marked where my next cut should go.  Can you see that little red line on the left upper notch?  That's my cut line.  I secured my wood in place, grabbed a hold of my saw and my box and got working!

Don't forget to visualize what direction the cut needs to go before you start sawing!  This is the bottom piece of the mirror that I am cutting and the piece on the right is what I am using.  The thicker part of my trim is at the bottom.

Repeat this step several more times.  I had 4 pieces to cut and two mitered ends to cut on each piece.  8 cuts with a hand saw is hard work.  My poor little hand was stiff afterward!!  I really wanted to get this project done before nap time was over and while hubby was at work since I was in his parking space in the garage, so I pushed on.  All 4 pieces were cut!

I laid them out on the floor to admire my work!  And I took a picture to commemorate it!

And then I took a picture to show how awesome I am at determining how much materials were needed.  This is all the scraps I had left.  I'm pretty impressed with myself.  (I really lucked out that the precut sizes were long enough to cut two pieces from, but short enough that I wouldn't have much left over)

We're ready to paint!  Dig out that box of thumb tacks that you're not sure why you've been keeping and put them to work.  It's much easier to paint the sides of your trim pieces when they are elevated and not touching the work surface.  Space a few thumb tacks out along the back of your trim, flip your piece over and there will be plenty of space between your edges and your work surface.  (and then brag to the hubby that you knew the tacks would come in handy one day)

I painted the trim black.  I used the same black paint that I used to paint my vanity (seen here).  It is Glidden Onyx Black.  I only have a quart of it, but it was a free quart!  Twice now Glidden has given away free quarts of paint and this is the first one I received.  It has come in handy!  (I also used it to paint my desk.)

Remember how I was so concerned with getting my work done before hubby came home?  Yeah, the paint wasn't dry, yet, when he got home, so he still had to park in the driveway.  And then the next day I did this.  I flipped them over and painted the top inside of each piece.  This is a MUST.  The reflection of the backside will show once you hang your pieces.  That is why you want to paint them.  So let these dry again and you'll be ready to hang them!!!